Trump Admin Chooses Israeli Arms Maker To Build Border Wall Prototype

The cost of each prototype ranges from $300,000 to $500,000. However, the final project could cost up to $25 billion.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security chose an Israeli-owned arms defense manufacturer to build a prototype for the border wall that is to be built on the southern border between the United States and Mexico.

The company, Elta North America, is one of the eight companies the department has picked to build a prototype for the 2,000 mile border wall. The companies are asked to build both concrete and non-concrete options.

According to Carlos A. Diaz, a Customs and Border Protection spokesman, the cost of each prototype ranges from $300,000 to $500,000. However, the final project could cost up to $25 billion.

As President Donald Trump stated during a rally in Alabama recently, he is looking for non-concrete options that will be “see-through.”

“The wall is happening. In fact, you probably saw, you know, we have a wall up there now, and re-renovating it already. It's being made pristine, perfect, just as good as new, though we may go a little higher than that, but that's OK. And we are building samples of a new wall. You know, it has to be a see-through wall," Trump said during the rally.

Elta is already manufacturing radar systems and components for the American military. The company manufactures radar systems for Arrow missiles, the Iron Dome anti-missile system, espionage and fighter jets.

Elta is also known for selling weapons to the military regime in Myanmar – an action that Israeli activists have been protesting against. The company also reportedly sold arms to genocides that have taken place in Rwanda and Sudan

Although Trump has received immense backlash, from not only Mexicans but from Americans as well on the idea of building a wall, he has still not given up on it.

He has praised Israel’s borders wall on several occasions.

Earlier this year, during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump praised the wall and said, “A wall protects. All you have to do is ask Israel. They were having a total disaster coming across and they had a wall. It’s 99.9 percent stoppage.”

In another incident, Trump reiterated his support for a strong border wall in a joint press conference with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and once again showered his praise for the Isreali border wall.

While answering a question from ABC’s Anthony Karl on the proposed border wall, Trump said, “Walls work. Just ask Israel.”

Israel has built fences along its borders with Egypt, along its northern border with Lebanon and along its boundary with the Gaza Strip.

“President Trump is right. I built a wall along Israel's southern border. It stopped all illegal immigration. Great Success. Great idea," Netanyahu wrote, attaching pictures of the Israeli and U.S. flags alongside each other.

Netanyahu was referring to a steel fence Israel has built along its border with Egypt, mainly to keep out migrants fleeing conflicts in Africa, including Somalis, Sudanese and Eritreans.

Funding the border wall has been a big task for the Trump administration. Trump said he expected Mexico to pay for the wall. He then turned to the Senate to fund the project with taxpayers’ money and said Mexico will pay later so that the process of building the wall speeds up.

However, the Mexican government has stressed on the fact it will not pay for the border wall proposed by Trump.

The idea of building a border wall on the southern border and restricting people from entering the United States in itself is an absurd idea. However, getting it done from a company that is somewhat responsible in killing thousands of people is downright atrocious.